Dispensing device



Nev. 17 1925. 1,561,582

W. P. ANTHONY DISPENSING DEVICE FIG. 6

FIG-.5

Filed Aug. 15.

Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

'UNITED STATES 1,561,582 PATENT OFFICE.

WENDELL P. ANTHONY, OF RIDLEY PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MYNOL i CHEMICAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

I DISPENSING DEVICE.

Application filed August 15, 1923. Serial No. 657,487.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVENDELL P. AN-' THONY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Ridley Park, county of Delaware,- and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Dispensing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object the provision of a simple and effective manually operable device for dispensing materials in a subdivided or powdered condition, the construction being such that it is inexpensive to manufacture, accurate in delivering meas- 1 ured quantities of the materials to be dispensed, and durable in use.

My object has been to so construct the device that all springs and delicate parts are omitted, to the end that not only does it attain the advantages above enumerated, but

is also capable of being quickly and easily dismantled and reassembled, a feature of great importance not only in the manufacture and shipment, but by the owner who installs the device.

My improved dispensing device is more especially intended for dispensing soap in powdered condition for use in lavatories, but is equally adapted to other uses such as dispensing sugar in restaurants, medicinal powders in drug stores and other purposes, the foregoing being referred to merely by way of example. v i

With the above and other obiects in View, the nature of which will be more fully understood from the description hereinafter, the invention consists in the novel construction of dispensing devices, as hereinafter more fully described and defined in the to claims.

Referring tolthe drawings: Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a dispensing device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the operative parts of the same with the glass container removed; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the same taken on line 3-8 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4c is a plan view, following Fig. 2 but with the distributor plate, distributor and agitator removed to 0 more fully illustratethe floor of the cup; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the distribu tor; Fig. 6 is, a perspective view ofone form of the agitator removed; Fig. 6 is a similar view of a slightly modified form of agitator; and Fig. 7 is a verticalsectional view corover and rest upon the holder whereby it is positioned thereon.- is cup 5, adjacent to the flange, is provided with a downwardly extending lug 26 which fits a notch or recess 27 in the holder 4 and is thereby prevented from rotating in the holder when the device is being operated. The upper part of the cup is provided with a screwthread 7 into which is screwed the mouth of an inverted bottle shaped container 8, preferably of glass.

Referring more particularly to the cup and its valve mechanism for controlling the discharge of the material in measured quanv tities, the cup body 5 is cylindrical and substantiallytubular except for a perforated transverse floor or diaphragm 9 having a plurality of apertures 10, preferably three in number. Below the floor there is a discharge space 11 and immediately above the floor, the body is finished to a diameter to constitute aobearing 20 in which a circular distributor 12 is received, said distributor formed in disk shape, with centrally arranged journals id and 15 respectively be low and above, and the latter constituting an upwardly projecting hub for purposes later enrplained.

The distributor 12 is provided with vertical apertures 13 adapted to be brought into alinement with the apertures 10 in the diaphragm or floor 9 of the cup, and the number of apertures in the distributor are double distributor is given a small rotary reciprothe number in the floor, so that when the cation, two adjacent apertures 13 are alternately brought into discharging alinement with-one of the apex turesv 10 and at other times the said apertures 13 are alternately closed at their lower ends by the floor 9 so that they act as pockets to receive the material which later is moved into positions above the aperture 10. The distributor 12 is provided with an operating handle 17 whose inner end is screwed into the peripheral wall thereof. said handle being free to move horizontally through slotted portions and 18 and 19 respectively formed in the walls of the annular holder 4 and cup body (Figs. 1 and 3). The lengths of the slots are such that the throw of the handle is just sufficient to bring two of the apertures 13 alternately into alinement with the apertures 10 in the floor, as before xplained.

Immediately above the recess 20, in which the distributor is arranged, the interior of the cup is slightly enlarged to form a receiving or seating recess 21 for a stationary disk or washer 22 which is provided with a plurality of apertures 23 equal in number to the apertures 10 in the floor 9, but out of alinement therewith; and to prevent the disk 22 from rotating, the same may have its perimeter notched as at 24 to receive a projection or lug 25 on the cup body (Figs: 4: In this manner, the apertures 23 of the disk are positioned above closedportions of the floor 9 and permanently out of alinement with the apertures 10 thereof. It will also be understood that there are only one-half the number of apertures 23 as are employed in the distributor 12..

Considering now the relation between the distributor 12 and the disk 22, it will be seen that whenone-half of the apertures 13 of the distributor are in alinement with the apertures 10 in the floor, the remaining half of apertures 13 are in alinement with apertures 23 of the disk, the first mentioned half of the apertures 13 discharging through the floor apertures 10 While the other half of said apertures 13 are receiving the material through the apertures 23 of the disk 22. When the distributor is shifted, the same condition again prevails, except that the apertures 13 which formerly discharged the material, now receive it through the disks and the apertures 13 which formerly received the materials now discharge .it through the floor apertures. If desired, the apertures 10. 13 and 23 may be tapered as shown in Fig. 7, to facilitate the passage of the materials.

Arranged immediately above the disk 22 and srpported upon the hub or post 15, is

an agitatordevice in, theform of a. star wheel 28 comprising a hub 29and a plurality of radial arms 30 which traverse the upper surface of the disk 22 to agitate the rrwterial and insure its filling the apertures 23 and also acting to pass closely over said apertures 23 and in that manner cause a separation of the material within the apertures 23 and 13 from the mass in the container, which separationis of such a nature that when, upon the passage of the arms, the material of the container descends once more to contact with the material in the apertures 23, its falls thereon causing said materials in apertures 23- to descend into empty apertures 13 then brought into aline ment. These agitator arms maybe supplemented by upwardly extending wire parts 31 curved outward into flattened ends 32 (Figs. 1 and-6) or said upwardly extending portions may be cast integral with the agitator, as shown at 31 in Fig. 6*. I do not restrict myself as to the form of these extensions of the agitator. Any suitable form of agitator may be employed.

It will be seen that all parts are exceedingly simple and readily assembled or dis mantled 'with facility. The insertion of the handle 17 and the screwing of its inner end into one of the apertures 16 of the distributor, locks all of the parts together with the exception of the container 8, and this latter must be capable of separate removal for rccharging purposes. All springs are avoided. The slight jar, which may be given when the handle 17 strikesthe ends of the slots 18 and 19, acts to aid in the discharge of the material from the distributor apertures. Furthermore, to make assemblage more'readily accomplished, I provide the perimeter of the distributor with screw threaded holes 16 between each of the apertures 13, so that the handle may be screwed intov any hole 16 iii sight within the slots 18 and 19, with assurance of perfect working of the agitator in relation to the apertures 10 and 23. As the apertures 10 and 23 have no direct communication at. any time by the adjustment of the distributor, it is manifest that the container 8 is'always sealed and constitutes a substantially air tight compartment which is a desirable advantage in cases where the materials to be dispensed. have a deliquescent tendency.

In practice, I prefer to make the parts of die castings so that no machine work is required and accurate fitting and cooperation of parts are assured. It is manifest that while the container '8 is preferably of glass, it may, if so desired, be also of a die casting and otherwise suitably shaped. The parts 12 and 22 are independently supported, though arranged very close together, but, if desired, the disk 23 may rest upon the distributor 12.

It will further be seen that as all parts are arranged vertically, one above the other, and with no rigid. resistance in their upward vertical relation, any tendency to bind through interposition of the material will automatically be relieved by the parts clearing themselves.

It will now be apparent that I- have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable, and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that I. do not restrict myself tothe details, as the same are susceptible of modification opening through the wall of the body,

in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a dispensing device, the combination of a tubular body having a transverse floor provided with an aperture and an annular shoulder at a higher elevation than the floor and also having a transverse handle slot a disk detachably fitted into the tubular body and resting upon the shoulder at a distance above the floor and provided with an aperture out of alinement with the aperture in the floor, a disk shaped distributor arranged between the floor and the underside of the disk and provided with an aperture, said distributor journaled for oscillation whereby its aperture may be alternately brought into alinement with the a erture in the disk and the aperture in the cor, ahandle secured to the dlstributor and projecting through a slot in the side of the body with freedom of move ment within definite limitation for operating the distributor and for holding it in position under the disk within the body, and

a container secured to the body above but out of contact with the disk for supplying materials to be dispensed therethrough.

2. The invention according to claim 1,

wherein further the distributor is provided with an upwardly extending post projecting through and above the disk, and an agitator detachably fitted upon the post is provided with radial arms in close proximity to the upper surface of the disk, said agitator having upwardly projecting arms extending from the radial arms for agitating the material to be dispensed.

3. The invention according to claim 1, wherein further the body part is shouldered upon its outer portion near its top and a bracket is provided for sustainin the body part and its associated parts, said bracket provided with an annular portion through which the body part extends and upon which its shoulder portion rests and to which it is detachably fitted with provision against rotation, said annular portion having a clearance in alinement with the slotted portion in the body through which the operating handle projects with freedom of movement but acting to lock the body part et to prevent upward movement, the con struction being such that the distributor may be given a forcible oscillation whereas the body is held against rotation.

In a dispensing device, the combination of a tubular body having an annular shoulder near its upper portion and a late al slot in its side wall at a distancebelow the shoulder, a container secured to the upper part of the body, a feeding mechanism arranged within the body and including a the apertures in the disk shaped distributor, a handle secured to the perimeter of the distributor and projectingthrough aslot in the side of the body with freedom of movement within definite, limitations for operating the distributor, and a bracket having an annular portion through which the body part ex tends and upon which its shoulder portion rests and to whiclrit is detachably fitted to be held against rotation, said annular portion having a clearance in alinement with the slot in the body through which the operating handle projects, whereby the annular portion of the bracket extends between the shoulder of the body and the upper portion of the slot of the body through which the operating handle projects whereby the latter acts to lock the body to theannular por tion of the bracket ment therein.

5. The invention according to claim 1, wherein further the floor and the disk are provided each with a plurality of apertures, those of the disk being arranged out of vertical alinement with those in the floor, and 1n which the distributor is also rovided with a plurality of apertures doubl of those in the floor whereby cooperate in pairs with each of the apertures in the disk and in the floor, and wherein also an agitator is fitted upon the distributor and provided with a plurality of radial arms of a length sufficiently great and so positioned as to closely sweep over the apertures in the disk. g a

6. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the apertures in the disk and in the distributor flare downwardly to' provide freedom to gravity action when the material is being discharged, and wherein further the greatest diameter of the flaring aperture in the disk is substantially equal to the smallest diameter in the flaring aperture in the distributor and the aperture in the floor of the body is at least equal to the greatest diameter of the aperture in the distributor.

7. In a dlspensingdevice, the combination of a tubular body having a transverse floor provided with a plurality of apertures and also a horizontal slot through its wall, W ltl1 a transverse disk fitted to the body at a distance above the floor and provided with a plurality of apertures equal in number to its apertures to the brackth e apertures in the floor but out of vertical alinement, a distributor arranged between the floor andthe disk and having a plurality of vertical apertures equal to the sum of disk and floor, said distributor capable of oscillation to apertures alternately in alinement apertures in the disk and in the floor and e the number bring its with the also having its perimeter providedwith a plurality of radial holes equal to the number of, the apertures therein and of less distance apart than the length of the horizontal slot operating handle dein the body wall,- an

directly with each of tachably connectable the radial holes one at a time for providing easy assemblage and for operating the distributor, said handle extending through the slot in the body for operating the distributor, and a container secured to the upper part of the body.

memes disposed intermediate of the apertures and wherein the operating handle is provided for detachable connection with any one of the radial holes, the construction being such that at any position of adjustment of the distributor at least oneof the radial holes will be in exposed position through the slotted portion of the body for ready assemblage.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

WEN DELL P. ANTHONY. 

